Talk DX is a GRAPH talk feature with the otokoyaku leads of a recent Grand Theatre show. This one, which was recorded towards the end of the Takarazuka run of Elisabeth, was published in the October 2016 issue, when the show was being performed in Tokyo.
Talk DX – Elisabeth (Asaka Manato and Makaze Suzuho)
Asaka: The production is already half over but…wahh~ Everyday I still feel, ‘Wow, I’m really in Elisabeth!’ Even though there have been some incidents – recently, there was some trouble with one of the stage mechanisms, so the show had to be paused for a bit in the middle.
Makaze: Right, just after ‘Die Schatten Werden Langer’.
Asaka: That’s it. Things had been going so well that day, so I stepped out on the Silver Bridge beaming triumphantly, feeling on top of the world, but then everything just faded out (laughs). I didn’t understand what was going on so I was like ‘what the heck~’ until a technician guided me offstage.
Makaze: I saw that whole incident from the wings (laughs). But then the next day, I also had an incident – during the coronation, my cloak got caught in the life so I couldn’t move forward…sorry about causing you such an issue there.
Asaka: No worries! I really wanted to help you, but my priest’s mitre wasn’t fastened securely, so it was going to fall if I looked down.
Makaze: While Maa-sama (Asaka) was singing, right behind you I was struggling with the cloak.
Asaka: It’s not often you can see His Majesty so flustered (laughs). Well, even though there were so many incidents (laughs), when you go on stage you can really get a feeling of the world the characters live in, more than you can in the rehearsal space. Every day new notions pop into my head – ‘I’d like to do it this way, I’d like to try it that way…’ Yurika’s (Makaze’s) Franz is so refreshing! Such a good person!
Makaze: Really? Franz is a role that really shows the weight of the years, so I want to leave the impression of the passage of time. I don’t want to just be a pure young man, and then an elderly monarch, but demonstrate scene by scene the life I’ve been living.
Asaka: I can really feel the progress of time. Those aspects where you’re not just thinking ‘and here I’ll do it this way’ are really amazing. During ‘Nicht ist Schwer’, I’m listening from the orchestra pit, and the feeling of a young man’s pure first love kept increasing until I was like ‘Mufufufufu (muffled giggling)’ (laughs). There! That’s what I really like about your performance!!
Makaze: It would be that (laughs).
Asaka: Right after Franz gives Sisi (Misaki) the necklace…come on, do it! (Asaka shifts character into Sisi and gestures as if she’s touching a necklace) 🎵 It’s so heavy~ 🎵
Makaze: (Takes Asaka’s hand)
Both: 🎵 No matter what mountains we face~ 🎵
Asaka: Yes! That bit 💖 When he takes the hand she touches the necklace with like that!
Makaze: (Takes Asaka’s hand once again)
Asaka: Squee~ Elisabeth thinks he’s upset that she reacts to how heavy the necklace is, but he’s not! He just gently makes a connection with her! I watched that scene from the orchestra pit, by the shadow that the spotlight cast (laughs).
Makaze: A shadow show! (laughs)
Asaka: I actually watch most of the end of Act I from the orchestra pit – it’s really clear how you begin living fully as the emperor. Yurika’s voice is so nice~
Makaze: Iida-sensei, the singing instructor, taught me new vocal methods. Although I still have a lot of issues…
Asaka: That sort-of Classical vocal style is so perfect for Franz, I think. the way you sing 🎵 Anything~ that you desire~ 🎵 Is awesome! I love it!
Makaze: Ahhhh! Maa-sama, your voice sounded so amazing just now! I should have taken a video~!
Asaka: (laughs) Der Tod, though, is thinking ‘fool, nothing you do will be any good’ as he’s listening.
Makaze: Oh~!
Asaka: At first, Der Tod sees Franz as just his opponent in love, or his rival for Elisabeth, but as he begins putting bigger things into motion he realizes that Franz is far more significant than that. Therefore recently I’ve felt that the line ‘I’m not the one whose aims will be destroyed’ is quite fitting (laughs).
Makaze: I see…
Asaka: But, in their final confrontation, Franz hits the mark precisely and when he says ‘You’re wrong~!’ Der Tod is truly shaken (laughs).
Makaze: In the prologue, Maa-sama is sparkling in the white light – it’s too little to just say that you look divine!
Asaka: Yeah, all I can see is white, too (laughs).
Makaze: (laughs) I’m busily being a ghost, but when I look back and see Der Tod in the light I’m like ‘Whoa!’
Asaka: For that entrance, I’m on a crane, and honestly I feel like I might lose out to the intense lighting. Before going on I work to construct the scenario in my head. Director Koike gave me the guidelines ‘since the spirits are causing a commotion, the Lord of the Underworld arrives’. So Der Tod is like ‘what are they making such a fuss about…worthless spirits…’ While everyone is getting more enthusiastic, singing 🎵 No-one knows~ the real Elisabeth~ 🎵 I come in thinking ‘What’s all this racket!’ (laughs)
Makaze: (laughs) Also, that one scene was so good! The scene with the red cloak!
Asaka: Oh, Doktor Zeburger (laughs). It’s so rare to see a cloak with such a deep red lining. Originally the flame design was silver, but it was changed to black, and that really makes it feel like the flames of passion are rising.
Makaze: Gosh, that moment where you get up on the chair, I’m watching from the side entrance like ‘Here it is~! This is the best~!’ (laughs) It’s like having Super-SS seats for that scene…
Asaka: (laughs)
Makaze: That first bit, where Der Tod is like ‘I’ll give you back your life, Sisi, and when you call me I’ll come for you…but I’m leaving for now’ – once, I was trying too hard to see you so I ended up in the field of one of the lights a little bit, so that must have been a bother…
Asaka: It wasn’t any bother, I was just like ‘Huh, there’s a blue person…oh, it’s Franz.’ (laughs)
Makaze: No, that was terrible! I’m really sorry! From now on I’ll make sure I stay in the shadow of the lighting column! But like, you were so Virtual there!
Asaka: You keep saying that, ‘Virtual’ (laughs).
Makaze: I think that might be the scene where the sense of you being a death god is strongest. While after that Der Tod is gradually more moved by Sisi, that scene was totally Virtual!! You were out of this world! When you were leaving, still with conflicted feelings for Sisi, I was just watching like (mouth gaping) that.
Asaka: Aw, that’s so cute (laughs)
Asaka: The timing of the show never really has us together in the wings, does it. Even though we start out on stage together at the beginning of Act II.
Makaze: That’s right. All I can do is catch a glimpse of Maa-sama passing by as I do my super-quick changes (laughs) During the section like 🎵 My mother is gone, please come back~ 🎵 I’m really, really!! having a struggle.
Asaka: On the other hand, I have some free time in here so I’ll wander around a bit.
Makaze: Now that you mention it, I do remember Maa-sama appearing in my field of view sometimes…
Asaka: Ahahahaha~ (laughs)
Makaze: I’m determined not to get distracted during that bit! (laughs) So I really can’t pay attention to Maa-sama at all.
Asaka: I know! I know, but I still really want to say something…I’m always holding in the urge to be like ‘Ya~y!’ and go hug you!
Makaze: I do really get that impression when I see you from the corner of my eye…it’s like you’re passing by while really working to keep under control.
Both: (burst out laughing)
Asaka: I’m really sorry. I know Franz has to grow up so I’ll endure.
Makaze: Sorry I can’t play with you there (laughs).
Asaka: We’re always appearing in the same scenes so I can’t see them, but I feel like my shadow doubles, the Black Angels, have really gotten to an amazing level lately.
Makaze: They definitely have!
Asaka: Even though I’m not looking at them I can tell by the feeling of being synced up. Like during ‘Der Letzte Tanz’ when I’m singing the high part they’re all dancing in unison and they never get out of time! It’s so impressive!
Makaze: Even though they had a lot of trouble with the wigs at first.
Asaka: Right, they did. The long hair would get so messed up during the dancing (laughs). But it seems like they’re finally used to it now. I’m sure dancing in those boots must be really hard as well, but they’re all lifting their feet up so you can’t tell at all. Especially in ‘Die Schatten Werden Langer!’
Makaze: I have so much respect for them in that scene.
Asaka: Oh! By the way, in the Hapsburg court, Madame Sophie is seriously scary!
Makaze: I…can’t really confront her, for sure. But I’d describe Franz as overly attached to his mother without much independent identity (laughs), so that’s certainly not a normal parent-child relationship. And as she’s running the country, she’s certainly an intense personality. She tries to take on Sisi’s training but…from Sisi’s point of view, this would certainly be frightening (laughs).
Asaka: ‘Wash your face!’ she says. That was so scary today~
Makaze: Although I certainly would never get so upset about it, thinking as Franz, or even as Makaze Suzuho, I might be like ‘well, perhaps it would be better if you washed your face…perhaps it would be better if you brushed your teeth.’
Asaka: That’s true. It depends on the person (laughs).
Makaze: I start out the finale singing a solo on the Silver Bridge, but I also get the leftovers of the dry ice from the last scene (laughs). Rather than the lights coming up suddenly, with no regard for the show, it feels more like ‘excuse me, everyone, but I think you’ve noticed that the main show has ended. Shall we proceed to the finale?’ I try to be sensitive to the emotions of everyone in the audience.
Asaka: That’s such a funny way of putting it…ah, my stomach hurts (laughs).
Makaze: I’m working hard to be a good partner for you (laughs).
Asaka: There, you’re so reliable! The otokoyaku dance is so cool, right? (waving her fist) I’m so happy about this choreography.
Makaze: It’s really great!
Asaka: I leave while it’s still going, and since I was told I could do whatever I liked there, I throw a kiss like ‘I’ll let you take over now!’
Makaze: Ahhhh~!
Asaka: (laughs) The choreography is pretty vigorous, isn’t it?
Makaze: That’s right – it’s quite vigorous and also lengthy so it’s really tough, but even so it’s really fun.
Asaka: The duuet dance is a revival of the one Asaji Saki-san and Shiraki Ayaka-san performed. It’s not as if it’s terribly difficult choreography, but getting the right atmosphere is quite hard.
Makaze: The color of the costumes is also very different from the main show – it’s like a soft red? I think the antique hue is very lovely.
Asaka: At the start, due to the significance of Elisabeth and the fact it was the 20th anniversary, we were really determined. ‘We’d better not dishonor this play!’ we thought.
Makaze: Right…
Asaka: But then when it came to opening day, the atmosphere from the audience was simply amazing!
Makaze: There was so much tension – I was like ‘maybe you could all try to relax a bit and just watch?’ (laughs)
Asaka: Yeah, exactly (laughs). And besides that, sometime during the beginning song, ‘Rondo of Love and Death’, I realized something! ‘Hang on – is there no space for applause in my scenes until the end of ‘Der Letzte Tanz’!?’ (laughs) You know how when you get applause the first time, it really helps you loosen up?
Makaze: I get it (laughs).
Asaka: So once I noticed that I was like ‘I’d better just go for it!’ and put in even more enthusiasm (laughs). But after the opening performance, I felt such an atmosphere of acceptance, which has given me confidence for every performance since.
Makaze: I can still hardly believe I’m performing in such a masterpiece, and in the role of Franz, even! I’m so happy and I hope I’m improving with each performance, even if it’s just a little bit.
Asaka: You are!
Makaze: (laughs)
Asaka: I’m so happy we’re able to spend our days with such a degree of fulfillment. The passion from the audience is so impressive, and I’m so thankful for Elisabeth. I hope to put on a show that only our current Cosmos Troupe could do, so I would be so happy if anyone who sees it thinks ‘I’d like to see Cosmos Troupe again!’